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What the Eyes Don't See
What the Eyes Don't See: A Story of Crisis, Resistance, and Hope in an American City | Mona Hanna-Attisha
35 posts | 20 read | 39 to read
The dramatic story of the Flint water crisisthe signature environmental disaster of our timeand an inspiring tale of relentless citizen resistance in the face of corrupt power Flint is a public health disaster. But it was Dr. Mona, this caring, tough pediatrician turned detective, who cracked the case.Rachel Maddow Flint was already a troubled city in 2014 when the state of Michiganin the name of austerityshifted the source of its water supply from Lake Huron to the Flint River. Soon after, citizens began complaining about the water that flowed from their tapsbut officials rebuffed them, insisting it was fine. Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha, a pediatrician at the citys public hospital, took state officials at their word and encouraged the parents and children in her care to continue drinking the waterafter all, it was American tap water, blessed with the state health departments seal of approval. But a conversation at a cookout with an old friend, leaked documents from a rogue inspector, and the activism of a concerned mother raised red flags about leada neurotoxin whose irreversible effects fall most heavily on children. Even as circumstantial evidence mounted and protests grew, Dr. Mona knew that the only thing that could stop the lead poisoning was undeniable proofand that to get it, shed have to enter the fight of her life. What the Eyes Dont See is the inspiring story of how Dr. Monaaccompanied by an idiosyncratic team of researchers, parents, friends, and community leadersproved that Flints kids were exposed to lead, and fought her own government and a brutal backlash to expose that truth to the world. Paced like a scientific thriller, the book shows how misguided austerity policies, the withdrawal of democratic government, and callous bureaucratic indifference placed an entire city at risk. And at the center of the story is Dr. Mona herselfan immigrant, doctor, scientist, and motherwhose familys activist roots inspired her pursuit of justice. What the Eyes Dont See is a riveting, beautifully rendered account of a shameful disaster that became a tale of hope, the story of a city on the ropes that came together to fight for justice, self-determination, and the right to build a better world for theirand all of ourchildren. Its one thing to point out a problem. It is another thing altogether to step up and work to fix it. Mona Hanna-Attisha is a true American hero.Erin Brockovich
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mbzk

“What we ingest or experience or inhale will make a difference to our health —literally the number of minutes allotted us to live.” Page 90.

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mbzk

“ The eyes don‘t see what the mind doesn‘t know.“ Page 22.

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mbzk

Resilience is the key, the deciding factor between a child, who overcomes adversity and thrives and a child, who never makes it to a healthy adulthood. Page 14.

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mbzk

“Resilience isn‘t something you were born with. It isn‘t a trait that you have or don‘t have. It‘s learned. This means that for every child raised in a toxic environment or an unraveling community - both of which take a terrible toll on childhood development and can have lasting effects-there is hope. Page 14.

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mbzk

“It is a story about what happens when the very people responsible for keeping us safe, care more about money and power, than they care about us, or our children.” - P. 13

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Susanita
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1. Frustrating story about the Flint water crisis, but told in a satisfying way.
2. Greenfield Village in Dearborn.
#RoadTripUSA2022
#TravelTuesday
#Michigan

megnews I always combine Dearborn and greenfield and call it Deerfield village 😂 I just fixed my post. I love this place. 2y
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howjessicareads
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Pickpick

I devoured this history / memoir of a pediatrician trying to expose the lead in the Flint water system. HIGHLY recommended. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Hilary427
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Mehso-so

I think this is a very important story to tell...but non-fiction is just so boring for me! So many names and people...I found myself skimming, A LOT. Heartbreaking story for Flint.

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BarbaraTheBibliophage
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Pickpick

I loved this memoir / call to action about the Flint, MI water crisis. This pediatrician sounded the alarm and used science to back up her patient concerns. I also loved her stories about the Iraqi / Chaldean immigrant community. She balanced work, activism, marriage, family, and kids. It‘s inspiring and could happen in any of our towns.

Full review http://www.TheBibliophage.com
#thebibliophage2020 #nonfictionchallenge2020 #aboutinfrastructure

Riveted_Reader_Melissa Sounds very good! 3y
Susanita We read this for my book club several months ago. Pardon the pun, but I really expected it to be dry and boring. It wasn't at all! She seems like a warm and lovely person, and I hope she's able to take care of herself after all those long nights and trying times. 3y
BarbaraTheBibliophage @Susanita Yes, I agree. It wasn‘t dry at all (good pun!). And my motherly instincts were worried about her well being. 3y
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BarbaraTheBibliophage
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I‘m giving my recent mystery / thriller series a rest (at least on audio), since this library book came in. Using this for my #nonfictionchallenge2020 #aboutinfrastucture pick since it centers on the Flint, MI water crisis.

Riveted_Reader_Melissa Sounds good! 3y
BarbaraTheBibliophage @Riveted_Reader_Melissa So far it‘s well done. But I just started. 3y
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marleed
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Pickpick

This book was interesting, informative, and infuriating. Lead is so debilitating to an infant and toddler. She explained the economic downfall of Flint and the racism allowing business and govt to cover up and continue known mistakes. Mona is a pediatrician who writes like an well-honed investigative journalist. I also went on a google search for more info about the Michigan Chaldean community - always learning!

#ReadTheUSA2020 Michigan

audraelizabeth As someone who lives in the epicenter of where C8 was made, the tolerance of government is staggering. Now DuPont has started making a new chemical that is supposed to be better than C8. 4y
marleed @audraelizabeth @RunsWithScissors It‘s just so frustrating. I‘m so grateful there are special people armed with the intestinal fortitude to prove truth is bigger than corporate greed and govt lies. I thought I knew this story but the book is a gut punch one can‘t forget. 4y
audraelizabeth Yea, Sadly here the amount of good non retail jobs are few so DuPont is on of the bigger employers and they arent the only polymer plant. My house is within 5 minutes of both. We actually drilled in school on what to do if an accident happened at either one and were told we are statistically more likely to be hit by terrorists than other small towns because of it. 4y
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Susanita
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1. Christmas!
2. Tagged
3. Mystery section, then local interest if I‘m away from home.
4. Hello new followers!
#wondrouswednesday

ErickaS_Flyleafunfurled Thanks for the tag!! 😁 4y
Eggs Great choice on #2👏🏻👏🏻. Thanks for playing ❣️ 4y
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Apinlibraryland
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I made miniature book ornaments for the little Christmas tree at my library!🎄

MrBook 😁👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 4y
Lesliereads You get points!!!✨✨ 4y
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Apinlibraryland
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Pickpick

This reads like a thriller but still had me quietly crying throughout. It‘ll make you angry but still give you hope. Thrilled I will be leading a discussion of this beautiful book tomorrow at work with my colleagues and students.

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Susanita
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I finished more books than I thought in July!
-Dread Nation (Ireland)🧟‍♀️
-The Glovemaker (Weisgarber)🧤
-Hunting a Detroit Tiger (Soos) ⚾️
-A Rule Against Murder (Penny) 🇨🇦
-Smoke and Mirrors (Griffiths)🎩
-The Lewis Man (May)🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿
-The Smoke at Dawn (Shaara) ⚔️
-What the Eyes Don‘t See (Hanna-Attisha)💧
-Brown Girl Dreaming (Woodson)❤️
-Faceless Killers (Mankell)🇸🇪
#wrapup

Now it‘s on to #letstravelaugust for more fun!

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks 🎊🎉📚🎈 thank you for sharing and playing!!! (edited) 5y
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CampbellTaraL
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Pickpick

A phenomenal book that breaks your heart and fills you with rage. Systemic racism took away the power of the people, resulting in austerity measures that killed, and subjected thousands of children to lead poisoning. The story includes the theme of hope, but it is hard to see it through the reality of what happened in Flint.

(An excellent reading by the author, too.)

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Cortg
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Pickpick

This is our One Maryland One Book choice for 2019. I knew a bit about the Flint water crisis and didn‘t think it was something very intriguing to read about, but Oh, how wrong so was! The author is the pediatrician “whistle blower” who called out the water issues in Flint. It was an interesting story with personal experiences and info about the children in her care. I also really enjoyed learning about her culture and family from Iraq. Well done!

Cortg Now I‘m going to spend down time at work researching the DC water crisis I know so little about 🥺 5y
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MallenNC
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Pickpick

It was frustrating to read this knowing that Flint is still dealing with this human-caused water crisis. Still, I enjoyed learning about the author‘s role in bringing the crisis to light and spurring some action. She wove in her family background, which provided good context. But my main feeling was sadness that the issue was ignored and covered up for far too long.

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Lindy
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Pickpick

When an Iraqi-born American paediatrician learned there was lead in the Flint water supply, she immediately took action. At first I was a little impatient with the memoir aspect, all of her family history, but then I realized the author was showing us how she became the kind of person who could take on corrupt, lying bureaucrats and politicians. Resilience can be learned: it‘s one of the things that makes this a hopeful, inspiring #audiobook.

DarcysMom Great review! I love, love, love the last sentence of it! 5y
Lindy @DarcysMom A quote from the prologue for you: “Resilience is the key, the overriding factor between a child who overcomes adversity and thrives, and a child who never makes it to a healthy adulthood. Just as a child can learn to be resilient, so can a family, a community, a city. And so can a country.” 5y
DarcysMom @Lindy - I am definitely adding this to my tbr! 5y
See All 6 Comments
Reggie I really liked this lady. Rachel Maddow did a story on her and an interview. 5y
Lindy @Reggie Dr Mona is a rock star. 😊 5y
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Lindy
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Again & again, the state and federal officials‘ disdain for Flint was shocking. At the EPA, when asked about using federal money to buy water filters for city residents, the Region 5 Water Division Chief wrote, “I‘m not so sure Flint is the community we want to go out on a limb for.” The pointed cruelty, the arrogance & inhumanity. Sometimes it is called racism. Sometimes it is called callousness. And sometimes […] it can be called manslaughter.

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GirlMeetsBook
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I was honored with a ticket to this fabulous event tonight and it was incredible. I love my job and state wide colleagues.

MrBook Oooh! 😁👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 5y
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GirlMeetsBook
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Pickpick

This is the only picture I have of this title. Which is an excellent read, btw! Can‘t wait to see her speak on Thursday!!

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Cortg
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Our One Maryland One Book choice this year. It‘s written by a pediatrician in Flint MI about the children and contaminated drinking water.

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suzisteffen
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Pickpick

This is my #science book for March, and it was worth every minute of the time I spent reading about Dr. Hanna-Attisha‘s childhood, high school years, post/secondary education & the friends she made along the way - including one in who helped her blow not just a whistle but a factory alarm about lead in Flint, Michigan‘s, water supply. Why did the city and state fail the people of Flint? You probably know, but here‘s the backstory of numbers & ⬇️

suzisteffen the persistence and strategy necessary to break through a wall of denial and outright murderous - in this case, proven manslaughter-ous - neglect. 5y
suzisteffen I should say I also have a journalist‘s book about this ready to check out from the library too - it‘s called Poisoned City, & I can‘t say I‘m exactly LOOKING FORWARD to it, but we all need to know how this kind of public health disaster happens - and how we can help avert more. 5y
Weaponxgirl Poisoned city has been on my radar but I‘m unable to get my hands on it right now. 5y
suzisteffen @Weaponxgirl Library ebook for me but I am kind of booked up; might need to save it for May or July (library months; the even months are Own Book TBR Pile months 😂). 5y
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suzisteffen
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Gonna finish this book on a flight (or two) this week, and the books I‘m putting in the comments too. #nonfiction #springbreak

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suzisteffen
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“In a future lifetime, I‘d like to invent an all-in-one soccer cleat, shin guard, and sock combo that also functions as a water bottle.” - Mona Hanna-Attisha

This book is intense and scary and sad, but it has a few moments of levity, of which this is the most amusing quip so far. #science #nonfiction #flint

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suzisteffen
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“A country can into her drama and neglect and become a place where people are cared for, where democracy and equality and opportunity are once again encouraged and advanced. Where poverty is silenced instead of people. Where we nurture one another and create a stable and safe environment for all children to grow up.”

❤️Little bit emotional about the intro to my March science read, damn. 🙌🏽💪🏽💧 Clean #water for Flint!

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catiewithac
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Bailedbailed

Bailing on this book. It‘s the pediatrician‘s memoir of compiling data about lead poisoning in Flint, MI. It‘s an OK read, but I really didn‘t care what her daughters ate for breakfast or personal stories about being an Iraqi immigrant. The Poisoned City was more to my taste (it‘s the journalistic version of the story). But if you like memoirs, this might be the book for you. I just don‘t want to waste my time with this one!

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WolfReader
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This book is a real eye opener. If you‘re like me and don‘t know much about the Flint (MI) water crisis, then please pick this one up. Informative and compelling, it‘s a fantastic testament to the power of doing the right thing against the odds. Dr Mona is an inspiring person throughout this story.

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Coleen
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Pickpick

Recently finished this for book club, about the Flint water crisis, written by the pediatrician who wouldn‘t let the lead issue go unresolved. Just saw something on the news about water issues in Detroit now.
I don‘t live in Michigan, but it makes me think twice about drinking my tap water.

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Coleen
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Stranded on the side of the road ..... tire blew out. 🤬
At least I have my book with me.

wanderinglynn Oh no! I hope you‘re not stranded too long. 6y
Lcsmcat Oh no! I hope you‘re not in as isolated a spot as it appears. 6y
JacqMac Oh no! I hope you‘ve been rescued. 6y
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Floresj
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Pickpick

This is one of the best books I‘ve read this year. Told from Dr. Mona, the pediatrician who exposed the levels of lead in her youngest patients, it is a story of family, science, collaboration, resistance, immigration, and activism. It is engaging, well written, inspiring and infuriating. She writes in a manner that shows her vulnerability and intelligence, the impact on the flint water crisis had on kids and her family. Amazing read!!!!

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Ericalambbrown
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Another great bookish interview on Fresh Air today. I‘d never heard of this book, but it‘s on my list now. Here‘s the link for anyone interested:
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2018/06/25/623126968/pediatrician-who-...

GondorGirl I'm originally from Flint, Michigan have friends currently dealing with childhood ailments because of the water crisis. It's terrifying what they're going through, and how no one in the government seems to care. Flint used to be a great family town with a stable economy. After the automobile industry crashed things went to hell. We were broke, angry, and violent. Just when things were finally starting to look up we find out the water is toxic. 😡 6y
Ericalambbrown @GondorGirl that‘s just terrible. I‘m so sorry. I don‘t blame y‘all for being absolutely incandescent in your rage. The pediatrician that wrote the book was pretty frustrated at her inability to get anyone‘s attention. It‘s a good interview from someone in the trenches. (edited) 6y
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